The 7-day Covid-19 case rate in South Kesteven has risen to its highest since the winter.

The district recorded 156 Covid-19 cases over the weekend, compared with 132 the weekend before.

There were no fatalities, but the weekend follows the district reporting its third Covid-related death in a week.

Deaths were recorded on Friday, last Monday and over last weekend. Before these three fatalities, the previous Covid-related deaths in the district were reported on August 3, August 1, May 5 and March 25, giving us seven deaths in almost 5 months.

It means since the pandemic started, official government figures record 275 fatalities in South Kesteven within 28 days of a positive test for Covid-19.

The total amounts to 192 deaths per 100,000, which is equivalent to one fatality for just over 500 residents.

The England average is one death for just under 500 residents.

This weekend's 183 cases compare with 83 on Friday, 59 on Thursday, 132 last weekend and 138 the weekend before.

This has pushed the weekly rate to above a peak of a month ago, back to the rates of winter. However, the number of deaths has substantially fallen since then, which health experts credit on the vaccination programme.

With its fluctuations, South Kesteven and sharper increases, South Kesteven now has a higher 7-day infection rate than both Lincolnshire and England.

After falling from a weekend peak of 329.6 cases per 100,000 to 318.4 on Wednesday, it now stands at 365.9, exceeding the peak of 353.9 on Friday July 23.

This compares with an England average of 320.5 cases per 100,000 of population, whose growth has been slower but more consistent.

Overall, since the pandemic started, South Kesteven has recorded 10,819 positive tests - about one case for each 14 residents. Again, this is better than the England average, which is almost one case for every ten people.

The figures come amid much testing, currently running around 820,000 a day or 5.2 million over a week nationally.

Overall, government figures recorded 3,854 cases of Coronavirus in Greater Lincolnshire last week, as the government cracks down on "cowboy behaviour" from some travel testing companies.

Government figures published on Sunday afternoon showed 754 new cases in Lincolnshire, 168 in North East Lincolnshire and 151 in North Lincolnshire.

The total is a 2% drop on the 3,934 cases confirmed the previous week.

The figures showed three new deaths of Greater Lincolnshire residents over the weekend, meaning the total over the past seven days is 15.

NHS figures are not updated over the weekend, leaving the weekly total at four deaths in hospitals across Greater Lincolnshire this week.

A new NHS campaign aimed at getting young people to take the jab has been launched.

The video, published on Vimeo, features the experiences of three people who have shared stories of the effects of long COVID.

The government has now offered all 16 and 17-year-olds in England with a COVID jab and more than 360,000 young people have taken up the offer.

The latest figures show that more than 47.6 million people in the UK – about 87% of over-16s – have now received at least one vaccine, with more than 41.6 million – 76% – having had both jabs.

Vaccine figures released by the government on Thursday showed Lincolnshire health staff have now given out 1,056,410 cumulative doses, up 14,241 on the previous week's 1,042,169 total, and an extra 2,318 doses than the previous week.

Of those, 564,124 are first doses, while 492,286 are second. The Lincolnshire population is 634,453 according to the Office for National Statistics 2020 population estimates. This means the percentage of the population over the age of 16 to have received a first dose is now 89%, while 76% have had their second.

Of those aged over 18, a total of 559,246 people have received their first dose, while 491,111 people over 18 have been double-jabbed. Meanwhile, 4,878 people under 18 have had their first dose, and 1,175 have had their second. The government has today said it will issue two-strike warnings to more than 80 private COVID-19 travel test providers, and remove 57 from its website, due to misleading prices, no longer existing or failing to provide relevant tests. Travellers coming to England from Amber and Green list countries have to test both before and after they arrive in the UK, while Red country arrivals still have to quarantine. A recent review of the government's own list of private companies offering tests found that the the prices displayed were lower on the Gov.UK site than the reality. Health secretary Sajid Javid said: "It is absolutely unacceptable for any private testing company to be taking advantage of holidaymakers and today's action clamps down on this cowboy behaviour. "57 firms will be removed from the Gov.UK list and a further 82 will be given a two-strike warning – if they advertise misleading prices ever again, they're off." Coronavirus data for Greater Lincolnshire on Sunday, August 22

93,852 cases (up 1,073)

61,424 in Lincolnshire (up 754)

14,503 in North Lincolnshire (up 151)

17,925 in North East Lincolnshire (up 168)

2,254 deaths (up three)

1,655 from Lincolnshire (up one)

305 from North Lincolnshire (no up one)

291 from North East Lincolnshire (up one)

of which 1,354 hospital deaths (no change)

835 at United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust (no change)

44 at Lincolnshire Community Health Service hospitals (no change)

1 at Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust (no change)

474 in Northern Lincolnshire (NLAG) (no change) 6,492,906 UK cases, 131,640 deaths